Pianist Zaccai Curtis’s recent album Cubop Lives! is a vibrant acknowledgement of the rich legacy of bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz offering a compelling blend that respects tradition while infusing it with a contemporary flair.
Backed by a scintillating ensemble of top-flight exponents of the style, including bassist luques Curtis, drummer Willie Martinez conguero Camilo Molina and on bongos Reinaldo Jesus, the group dives into an extended track list of seventeen compositions comprising Curtis originals, bebop classics, American Songbook standards and several numbers that pay tribute to one of Curtis’ favourite piano players, Noro Morales.
The session opens with a couple of Curtis originals, namely “Earl” and “Black Rice,” which were specifically written for a small group. In both these numbers, the tone is set by Curtis’ lively piano lines backed by syncopated rhythms showcasing the group’s technical prowess and musicality.
Thelonius Monk’s nod to bebop “52nd Street Theme” has a rhythmic and tonal structure that is rarely associated with the number but provides a vibrancy that sets up home in the piece.
Track Listing
Earl; Black Rice; 52nd Street Theme; When I Fall In Love; Cuban Fantasy; Woody’N You; Someday My Prince Will Come; Let’s Do It Again; Jazzin’; Maria Cervantes; Oye Man; Stromboli; Rumbambola; Maple Leaf Rag; Contour; Minor’s Holiday; Moose The Mooche.